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As the busiest shopping season of the year approaches, it’s a good time to assess just how dramatically Canada’s e-commerce environment has changed, and how the transformation is shifting.
CIRA recently released the Canada’s Internet Factbook 2017, and while it contains many valuable statistics and points to several growing trends, the most significant takeaway is this: the internet is no longer a separate retail channel, it’s an integrated component of the consumer sales cycle.
While the goal was once for every Canadian business to have an online presence, ideally with an e-commerce component, today the internet is a critical component in all aspects of selling to Canadians.
Indeed, while we find that 82 percent of Canadians have made an online purchase in the last 12 months, we also see that one in ten buy online and pick up in-store. The trends that may once have foretold the end of brick and mortar retail are now beginning to move the other way.
New technologies such as augmented reality may make trying on a new suit or testing a new chair in your living room more realistic, but there is still nothing quite like running your hand over the fabric or finding out what it’s like to sit in it.
The future is here, and it’s online, but Canadian consumers have indicated that they still find value in the ritual of retail shopping experiences, and the value of the internet is increasing in how it can help augment this reality.
Canadians have clearly demonstrated that while they value the convenience of shopping online, they want to support Canadian companies. We see this clearly in the fact that 81 percent of Canadians prefer to shop at a .CA website over a .com. While some of this preference is good ol’ fashioned national pride, there are clear benefits to shopping both online and in-store with Canadian brands including better shipping options, no customs or duty charges, and the ease of pricing in Canadian dollars.
What is clear in these preferences is that while Canadians enjoy the advantages of e-commerce, nothing can supplant the value of simplicity. This is why we now see Canadians leveraging the power of the internet in both directions. Whether it is the 79 percent of Canadians who practice “webrooming” – that is, they compare prices online before buying in-store; or the 17 percent who prefer “showrooming”, browsing in-store before purchasing online; the internet is no longer exclusively shifting commerce online; it is powering it wherever it takes place.
Of course, the most significant factor that is powering this shift is the ubiquity of mobile. When e-commerce was exclusively the domain of the desktop browser, the value was predominantly one-way. The benefit of shopping from your couch is clear. However, the dominance of mobile makes it easier to combine the best qualities of having a retail presence with the virtues of the internet.
We see this in Canadian companies such as Frank & Oak, which have transformed an e-commerce experience into a physical retail presence in several cities. Alternatively, Loblaws now offers the ability to shop for groceries online and pick them up at your local store. While it once looked like e-commerce might decimate the retail landscape, what we see now is something more nuanced.
The only constant in the debate is that Canadians prefer to do business with each other, and they want the internet to play a key role in making the experience better. That is the value of .CA in a nutshell, and as Canadians prepare for the holiday shopping season, we look forward to helping more great Canadian businesses get online.


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New York: Japanese conglomerate SoftBank will pick up 15 per cent stake in Uber and pump in USD 1 billion as primary investment in the US-based ride-hailing app in early 2018, according to multiple sources.
The fresh capital infusion comes at a time when the company is looking at moving beyond the controversies it was mired in 2017 and further scaling up operations.
Two people close to the developments said SoftBank Group Capital Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group, will hold 15 per cent share in Uber and is expected to also get two seats (out of 17) on Uber’s Board.
Also, the companies are now proceeding to close the overall transaction, including a minimum USD 1 billion primary investment in early 2018, they added.
The tender offer will also see the remaining members of the consortium picking up about three per cent stake, another official said.
The sources declined to be identified as the deal is private. Previously, Uber had entered into an agreement with a consortium led by SoftBank and Dragoneer to explore a potential investment.
When contacted, SoftBank declined to comment on the details but said it is “appreciative of the support from Uber’s shareholders in the successful tender offer”.
“…(We) look forward to closing the overall investment in January. We have tremendous confidence in Uber’s leadership and employees…” SoftBank Investment Advisers CEO and Director at SoftBank Group Corp Rajeev Misra said in an emailed statement.
An Uber spokesperson said the transaction is expected to support the company’s technology investments, fuel growth, and strengthen corporate governance. With the deal closing, SoftBank becomes an investor in two of India’s largest on-demand cab service — Uber and Ola.
Ola and Uber are locked in an intense battle for leadership in the Indian market. Both companies have pumped in millions of dollars towards rider discounts and driver incentives.
For Uber, India is one of its largest markets where it has seen strong growth. It saw the number of completed trips on its platform grow to 41.3 million in July this year, from 19.2 million in July 2016, a jump of 115 per cent.
However, the world’s most funded startup has also had its share of troubles in the Indian market. The company was temporarily banned in New Delhi after one of the drivers on its platform allegedly raped a woman passenger in 2014.
Globally too, Uber has been surrounded by a slew of controversies, including allegations of widespread mismanagement and harassment at workplace.
In August this year, Uber named Expedia chief Dara Khosrowshahi as its new CEO, handing him the herculean task of repairing Uber’s image, boosting employee morale and turning the business profitable.

domain: news


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Lucrative Local Bamboo Business
Phnom Penh, August 15, 2023 --
A Siem Reap man has modernised the design of household materials and souvenirs made of bamboo, making it a lucrative business in the province.
A resident of Thnal Bandoy village, Preah Dak commune, Banteay Srei district in Siem Reap province, Mr. Sreng Sreb said he has spent almost 13 years upgrading his family bamboo business, passed on to him by his parents. Though it takes at least six months to process fresh bamboo into various materials, the current market price for them is very decent, he said.
He added that "Bamboo hammock is currently a bestseller at his place, and I can make at least US$60 from a bamboo hammock."
According to Mr. Sreb, the best bamboos that can produce quality household materials and souvenirs are those with low sugar, are big enough, and are resistant to heat and water.
He bought those bamboos from other villagers in Siem Reap, so when his business is going well, those villagers also benefit from it.
The success of Mr. Sreb's business is attracting many locals to grow bamboo, and the extra farming is contributing significantly to their families' livelihoods.
Looking to the future, Mr. Sreb wants to expand his tailored supplies for home, restaurant, and hotel designs and export his products to international markets.
He also encouraged more supporters for products made of bamboo, which do not deplete the forest but promote it and create jobs.


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The iphone case
is a big market. Almost nine-tenths of the owners will put their expensive mobile phones in the phone shell. US market analyst NPD says the number of people using a mobile phone shell accounts for 87%.
GfK, a research group, said last year that British iphone users had bought 5 million phone shells, including a mobile phone case with wooden keys and plastic casings with case Kindston patterns. In the United States, the iphone has more users, and the market for handset accessories is broader. In the quarter before Christmas, mobile phone accessories accounted for 40% to 60% of the year.
The decorative shell of the phone began 15 years ago when Nokia models started, but the phone shell turned into a lucrative industry from Apple smartphones. Each iphone shell sells an average of 13.4 pounds, a 67 million-pound deal in the UK alone. But with Google Android phones more, particularly Samsung mobile phones. These owners will also buy mobile phone accessories.
Only about two-thirds of Samsung's mobile phone owners buy mobile phones, NPD found. In southern China's Shenzhen, Foxconn plants are responsible for making iphones.
For accessory manufacturers, a new phone model is worth as much as £ thousands of. The new handsets were produced at the end of this summer, and although Foxconn has been strict in preventing workers from leaking relevant data, it is inevitable that they will leak out. A few weeks before Cook announced the release of the new iphone, a video of the model, screen and components of "upcoming iphones" was circulated online.
Each video is also sold at a price of thousands of pounds to the handset manufacturer or accessory manufacturer. About 65% of mobile phones are sold to iphone owners, 30% to Samsung owners and 5% to other mobile phones, according to co-founder Kevin Faro of Mota, a handset-shell manufacturing company. Steve Mutram, head of operations at Olloclip, which makes the pin-camera, said: "The iphone's users tend to be richer, and using a phone shell is an insurance strategy (to prevent the phone from falling off)."
” Olloclip, founded by Patrick Neill in May 2011, now has a yearly annual income of $12 million trillion. Patrick Onell said: "If they can give us the information in advance, we are very fast." "He spent 70,000 dollars to buy a 3D printer, was considered a crazy move, but now, see the company's engineers completely redesign the pin camera system, and accurate to a fraction mm, finally admitted that it is clever."
” The new iphone will be able to take multiple angles or a standard back shot, which can be done with multiple angles or close-ups, while also preventing dithering.
With the help of the 3D printer, each redesign can be done in a matter of hours, without having to go to the factory to see the model and save valuable time. Neill said: "When IPhone6 appears, best buys a ' new iphones ' phone shell. Before the iphone 4s was released in October 2011, rumors were saying it would have a ' teardrop ' shape. There is a mobile phone shell company made 50,000 mobile phone shell that day, the results are all set aside; IPhone6 plus appeared, the same tragedy occurred. Some people say in the online video that IPhone6 plus may be curved because they are too thin. Mobile phone shell manufacturers hastened to build a reinforced mobile phone shell, but when the Shenzhen factory was busy doing the reinforcement of the shell, Apple said the sale of 10 million handsets, only nine owners complained that the fuselage is too thin. These hardened phone case
will soon be cheap, and they should look like the iphone 4s's "teardrop" phone shell as quickly as it can.


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IS RESISTOL TOO STICKY FOR H. B. FULLER TO HANDLE?
Litigators want to paste company with `wrongful death' suit
over child's misuse of product
By Dale Kurschner, Editor
H. B. Fuller Co.'s Resistol dilemma is living up to its name: It's resisting all efforts to be resolved. And matters may soon worsen on the issue of Central American street children using the glue to get high. A wrongful death lawsuit has been drafted and could be filed against the firm in July, says Scott Hendler, an attorney in Austin, Texas.
Hendler represents Julia Polanco of Guatemala, who claims her son died as a result of sniffing Resistol. Her suit would seek a jury trial and would be similar to one she filed in U.S. District Court in Dallas earlier this year, according to Hendler. Polanco asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit so it could be moved to Fuller's home jurisdiction, Minnesota.
If the suit is filed, Polanco would have a tough case to prove-- that misuse of Fuller's product led to a death, and that Fuller's glue was to blame, though other companies' glues were likely being sniffed, as well. As Fuller quickly points out, the problem is not with the glue but with the social condition that lead children to misuse it.
But this suit, by itself, is not what threatens Fuller. It's the fact that attorneys such as Hendler and Charleston, South Carolina attorney Michael Brickman have teamed up on such litigation. Social work groups like Covenant House of New York-- critics of Resistol's availability as a narcotic to thousands of street children in Central America--are upping the ante in their campaign to stop its sales by referring alleged victims of its misuse to U.S. attorneys. And even more troubling is the potential for a jury trial--and the negative publicity it could create--on an issue that Fuller has successfully addressed as far as its customers and shareholders are concerned.
"When these situations occur outside the United States, it takes a healthy amount of media coverage to get anybody's attention," says Nick Nichols, a crisis management expert and partner in the Washington, D.C. communications firm Nichols Dezenhall. "Once the debate occurs within our borders--and this all assumes media coverage--a jury trial could prove to be a very significant crisis catalyst for the company."
H. B. Fuller's response to Polanco's possible suit is, "What lawsuit?" according to spokesman Bill Belknap. The company won't comment, even on the Texas filing, unless there is a new filing. And it maintains that it has tried everything possible--warning labels, tighter distribution controls, a change in formula in some countries, and other measures--to keep children from using Resistol as an inhalant. In at least two countries, it has stopped selling Resistol through retailers. "A Decision to pull the product at retail is clearly a move in the right direction," Nichols says. "To hold the company accountable for how its industrial customers behave is beyond rational judgment."
Various media and groups like Covenant House are trying to do just that, however. They claim Fuller is giving lip service to a problem it could solve by adding a foul odor to its glue, or by discontinuing its sales "wherever it is being misused" as the company said would do in 1992.
Indeed, it is statements like that made by Fuller President and CEO Walter Kissling on July 17, 1992, that may hurt the company the most (see sidebar following). "It's a key point to the case," Hendler says. "Representing they would take progressive steps, then not following through with them--that's what tipped the scale on whether Fuller was sincere in dealing with this problem,."
Nichols agrees. "What makes this case worse is the appearance, true or not, that the company's solutions to the problem were not fully exercised," he says. "That could leave the jury, but more importantly the other key audiences, with the perception that the company didn't do what it said it would, and that it doesn't care."
John Schultz, a money manager with Ethical Investments Inc. in Minneapolis, says Fuller has done everything it can to remedy the situation. And he questions the validity of Polanco's claims. "If they were to win this suit--and they will not--it would put any volatile-based business out of business. Makers of paints, aerosols, even gasoline," he says.
In the Texas suit, Polanco among other things alleged Fuller had the opportunity to add ingredients that would make the glue less attractive as an inhalant, but refused; was negligent because it knowingly designed the glue in a way that attracts children; and failed to test the product's attractiveness to, and harmful effects, on children, despite knowing that children were misusing it.
More than any other manufacturer of adhesives, paint, and other chemical products, Fuller has earned a U.S. reputation over the years for being socially responsible. It is a member of the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES); it has given 5 percent of its U.S. pre-tax earnings to charity since 1976; by 1997, it plans to give 5 percent of its annual worldwide pre-tax earnings to charity.
Given such corporate kindness, it makes little sense that Fuller would be as "wrongful" about Resistol as Polanco and other critics allege. Indeed, Belknap says if anyone's ethics are questionable, it is those of Fuller's critics.
For example, Covenant House, in recent months has accused Fuller of selling a wood treatment product containing the toxic insecticide pentachlorophenol in Central America. it says its representatives can still walk into stores and buy Fuller's brand with that insecticide. it doesn't tell people, however, that Fuller discontinued sales of such products five years ago, and that what it is finding could very well be remnant inventory. When asked about that point, a Covenant House representative says Fuller should have recalled the product.
"We're doing everything we can and what we think is right," Belknap says about Resistol. "But what is the role of the activists in all this? How can they bring about positive change?"
The solution is not for Fuller and other companies to stop selling toxic glues, but rather to help get children off the streets and into productive lives, he says. Fuller has said previously that its goal is to help get children off the streets in Central America. It donates thousands of dollars each year to children's groups aiding in that effort. But Belknap refuses to say how much because when revealed in the past, critics complained it's not enough for an international company with $1 billion in sales and $30 million in net income.
As for Resistol hurting people, "we're no different from people who make Glade air freshener or gasoline," he says. "We make a legitimate product that is sold for legitimate purposes. We distribute it as controlled as we can, and we do everything we're expected to do."
How H. B. Fuller's statements have changed since it said it would discontinue sales of solvent-based glues wherever they're being misused.
Board of Directors and management state the company will discontinue the sale of Resistol glue in Central America "wherever it is being misused." President and Chief Operating Officer (today CEO) Walter Kissling says, "Until we can come up with a substitution for the solvent-based glues that are sniffed by kids, we will just pull out of the market."
The media responds favorably. In an editorial titled "Kids Before Profits, H. B. Fuller's Way," the Minneapolis StarTribune says, "The company made the right choice on a complex issue. Fuller's board of directors decided to stop selling glue to hundreds of small shoemakers. How many companies might instead have stopped with `it's not our problem that the kids get the glue. We sell to legitimate users.'"
Dick Johnson, Fuller's vice president of corporate affairs tells Minneapolis/St. Paul CityBusiness the company has discontinued sales of Resistol to its industrial and retail users only in Guatemala and Honduras, where its misuse is most prevalent. Instead, an adhesive similar to Resistol is being sold to industrial customers, he says.
Spokesman Bill Belknap tells the StarTribune the company is still selling Resistol to its industrial customers in Guatemala and Honduras, but has tightened its distribution system, and is no longer selling the glue through retail outlets. Activists say there are many channels through which glue at factories winds up in the hands of children.
Belknap says the company's efforts (stopping retail sales in two countries) have proven ineffective--proof, he says, that the problem is not with the glue but the social conditions that lead children to want to inhale it. "We're no different from people who manufacture Glade or who make gasoline. We make a legitimate product that is sold for legitimate purposes."
Copyright 1995 BUSINESS ETHICS magazine
For subscription and editorial information:


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Motorola forayed into the Indian smartphone market in 2014 and initially announced smartphones under three series- Moto E, Moto G, and Moto X. After the acquisition of Lenovo from Google, Motorola has been a different company.
The company kept the Moto E and Moto G for entry-level and mid-range smartphone buyers but killed the Moto X lineup in favor of the much better and modular Moto Z lineup of smartphones.
And in 2017, the brand is expanding the product portfolio by a significant margin. For example, Motorola has launched the affordable Moto C and C Plus smartphones this year for first-time smartphone buyers.
And then there are the Moto E4 and E4 Plus for budget buyers. And the Moto G5 and G5 Plus are already launched for mid-range buyers.
And the Moto Z2, Moto Z2 Force will launch on July 25. If you look at the product portfolio, Motorola is covering every price bracket starting from Rs. 6,000. The Moto C costs Rs. 5,999, while Moto C Plus costs Rs. 6,999.
The Moto E4 is priced at Rs. 8,999, whereas the Moto E4 Plus costs Rs. 9,999. The Moto G5 is available at Rs. 11,999, while the Moto G5 Plus starts at Rs. 14,999. The Moto Z Play is available at Rs. 24,999, whereas the Moto Z2 Play costs Rs. 27,999.
That being said, the Moto Z2 and Z2 Force will launch in August this year. If you look at the prices of Motorola smartphones, the only massive gap is between the Moto G5 Plus and Moto Z2 Play. And the company is looking to shave the deficit by launching the Moto X4 somewhere priced between the Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 25,000. And there would be the Moto G5s and G5s Plus between Rs. 150,00 and Rs. 20,000 as well, possibly Rs. 17,999.
The Moto X4 is expected to launch alongside the Moto Z2 and Z2 Force in the July 25 event in New York. But before the launch itself, the Moto X4 has been leaked numerous times revealing complete specifications of the phone.
The Moto X4 at the moment has two set of rumored specifications. The first specs suggest that the device will be a powerful mid-range smartphone, whereas the second set indicates a decent mid-range smartphone.
Coming to the first set, the Moto X4 will come with a 5.2-inch Full HD display layered with a 3D glass on top, and the Snapdragon 660 chipset will power it, clubbed with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage.
The device will come with dual camera setup at the back and a dominant 16MP front-facing camera.
A 3800mAh battery is said to fuel the smartphone.
And the second set suggests that the device will have a 5.5-inch display, Snapdragon 630 chipset, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, dual camera setup, and a 3000mAh battery. This variant also said to be a Moto X4 Mini, but nothing is confirmed for now.
All said the launch date of the Moto X4 is unknown for now. But there’s a massive possibility that Lenovo would announce it at the July 25 event.
Motorola Moto X4 Specifications (Moto X 2017)
- Screen -5.5 inch IPS Full HD display (1920*1080) pixels
- Screen Protection – Gorilla Glass 4. 2.5 D curve glass.
- Pixel Density – 401 PPI
- Processor – 64 bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Processor
- Number of cores – 8 Cores clocked at 2.2 GHz
- GPU – Adreno 512 GPU
- RAM – 4 GB
- Camera – Dual Rear Camera Setup
- Storage – 64 GB with micro SD slot upto 128 GB.
- OS – Android Nougat 7.0.
- Volte and 4G LTE support.
- Fingerprint Scanner – Yes
- Battery Capacity – unknown
- Colours – Gold and Silver and Blue.


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Your source for updates about the sport of axe throwing, the NATF and our member organizations.
The National Axe Throwing Federation and member locations across the United States were recently featured on Bisnow (Almost) Never Boring. The article described the evolution of axe throwing by stating:
"People have been throwing axes for sport for thousands of years, but the modern concept of a venue specifically dedicated to regulated ax throwing started in 2010, when Matt Wilson founded Backyard Axe Throwing League in Toronto after years of organizing it in his backyard. BATL had grown a following when Matt and Krista Paton visited in 2015, fell in love and co-founded Urban Axes in Philadelphia with partners Stu Jones and Shaun Hurley the following year."
The concept of axe throwing took off immediately in Philadelphia and owners Jones and Paton "opened Urban Axes’ second location in Austin, Texas, on the one-year anniversary of its Philadelphia debut, and have since grown to locations in Baltimore and Durham, North Carolina, with Boston and Cincinnati opening before year’s end. In the first half of 2019, Paton expects to open four new locations, including one in South Philly."
Urban Axes owner, Paton, believes that there are "a lot of comparisons have been made to bowling, and there are many thousands of bowling alleys across the country.” The article concludes by stating that "even if ax-throwing never gains the level of mainstream acceptance as bowling, it has established itself as a viable retail format that can bring in the crowds landlords crave to energize their properties. In today's climate, that is as good as a bull's-eye."
Check out the full article here.


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Beeswax Upgrades Buzz With Improved Targeting and Analytics
Better usability, functionality and speed
Beeswax is upgrading its user interface and API, Buzz, to make it more powerful, faster and easier to use. The move comes after a period of growth at Beeswax to service a more diverse range of customers in the US and EMEA including Cognitiv, Azerion and The Ozone Project.
Available from today for existing and new customers, Beeswax has a completely revised, more intuitive workflow for line item targeting, as well as a new Report Builder to facilitate faster data visualizations, schedule reports, and manipulate data more powerfully. Further enhancements are planned for the second half of the year including bulk editing for targeting and a new interactive dashboard.
Recommended AI News: Exabeam Appoints Security Industry Veteran Adam Geller As Chief Product Officer
Ari Paparo, CEO of Beeswax explains, “We launched Beeswax for companies who wanted to build a transparent, flexible and customizable bidder. As programmatic advertising has grown, we now have a much wider range of customers including leading media companies as well as brands using Beeswax to ‘in-house’ their advertising. In addition, business intelligence tools have democratized and simplified access to data for all advertisers, not just experienced programmatic traders. It was time to invest heavily in delivering a more flexible and user-friendly interface to increase the speed and power of our trader tools.”
Featuring a new look and feel, Beeswax’s new Query Tool will enable data visualizations without the need to export to another platform, as well as providing the ability to export data and the option to schedule reports at specific times of day.
A revised, more intuitive workflow for line item targeting will save time for programmatic traders so that they can spend more time optimizing and less time trafficking. A new targeting page is built with rearranged targeting keys and modules, improved UI components, and the foundation for bulk edit targeting, “favoriting” targeting keys, and targeting presets.
The upgrade follows Beeswax’s launch of Antenna, to house and surface data intelligence on the auctions, bids, and results of Beeswax bidding. In April, the company acquired MediaGamma to bring more machine learning and custom algorithm development into the business and grow its EMEA footprint.
Recommended AI News: Adeya Launches Industry-First, Zero-Trust, Encrypted Video Conferencing


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Writing is the easy part. It’s distributing your work it effectively and attractively to a range of mobile devices that is the challenge. Cloud publishing company GENWI has added $2 million to it first round of funding to tackle this problem.
The additional investment was spearheaded by from Mike Maples, Jr. of Floodgate Partners and Roger McNamee from Elevation Partners. It adds to the $4 million GENWI took last fall from Nexus Venture Partners, Inventus Capital Partners, and Quest Venture Partners.
GENWI helps outlets like magazines and blogs easily create apps to distribute their content on smart devices. According to CEO PJ Gurumohan, online content creators may want to have an engaging mobile presence but do not have the resources to launch their own mobile apps. GENWI, which stands for Generation Wireless, takes care of this for them.
An exclusive invite-only evening of insights and networking, designed for senior enterprise executives overseeing data stacks and strategies.
“With the proliferation of mobile devices, consumption of content happened in apps,” he said in an interview. “Publishers get the idea, but are not moving as fast as they could because it is confusing and expensive. We offer a quick, low risk, easy way for them to get there.”
Publishers upload their content to GENWI’s cloud platform and from there build mobile apps. Editors and designers can manage and curate content and make necessary changes in real-time, while the app is run behind-the-scenes by GENWI.
Distribution is possible across multiple platforms and devices. Customers do not need to create separate apps for separate devices; GENWI will do that for them.
Today, over 15,000 apps use GENWI. Major media outlets like Conde Nast, The Hollywood Reporter, Forbes, and PBS Kids are clients, as are companies like Deloitte that also have content marketing needs.
The first round of funding went toward improving the product and expanding the client base. The added $2 million is strategic investment, Gurumohan said, from investors who appreciate the importance of high-speed publishing.
“We believe strongly that we are in the Twitter world,” he said. “Magazines have to operate at Twitter-speed. Mike Maples and Roger McNamee understand that.”
GENWI is based in Los Altos, Calif.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


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Contactless payment technology is booming in the UK, according to WorldPay, with 226 per cent more transactions of this type taking place now, compared to the same time last year.
The organisation revealed that around 25 per cent of all credit, debit and charge cards are now equipped with contactless technology, equating to 38.1 million cards.
Dave Hobday, managing director of WorldPay UK, said: “Contactless means being able to serve customers faster and cut down queues. Today’s shoppers’ demand speedy service, and will walk away if they don’t get it."
He added that this speed is vital for businesses and that WorldPay helped more than 70 large retailers go contactless in 2013.
WorldPay's data revealed that take up of contactless payment methods was the highest in London, with 17 per cent of people using the technology, with the capital followed closely by Leeds and Manchester.
Take up of contactless cards is expected to increase in the coming years, due to the ease and convenience of the technology. WorldPay's findings revealed 93 per cent of people who have used contactless payments find them “quick and efficient".
By Asim Shah


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October 1, 2011
Since it was started over 27 years ago, most of us are aware that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And, if you haven’t already noticed, there are pink products popping up in retail stores everywhere to raise funds for this cause.
Over the past few years, we’ve talked a lot about breast cancer awareness and the importance of annual mammograms and monthly self exams. Today we want to take this opportunity to round up some of our previous posts on this important issue.
One of my favorite charities that has been helping to raise breast cancer awareness for almost 30 years is Susan G. Komen for the Cure. In case you’ve never visited the site, it’s worth taking a few minutes to read the story about Susan G. Komen and how her sister, Nancy Brinker promised her that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever.
Nancy Brinker has proven that one person can make a difference. In 1982, that promise became Komen for the Cure and a global breast cancer movement was launched.
Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure, Komen for the Cure has invested more than $1.9 billion to fulfill that promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.
We are now more aware that ever that early detection is the key to a higher survival rate so the single most important thing we can do as women is to have our annual mammogram. I’m writing this today as a friendly reminder to anyone who may be behind on their annual mammogram; please call and make an appointment today.


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An East Haven, CT, woman who is a postal clerk in Stamford, CT, has been charged with identity theft, according to the Associated Press.
Gail Worthington was arrested last week, accused of using information obtained at work to get credit cards in other people's names, according to the report.
Worthington is charged with identity theft, illegal use of a credit card and third-degree larceny after a joint investigation by U.S. Postal Service inspectors and East Haven police, the report said.
Police said that a search of her apartment turned up merchandise allegedly bought with fraudulently obtained credit cards from upscale stores. Police found personal identification of several victims, plus credit card numbers, postal routing codes, phone numbers, proof of residency and merchandise order information, according to the report.


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Some People Disappointed After Palin Booksigning Lowered To Only 500
Former Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is expected to autograph copies of her book tonight at the Borders on Sawmill Road. Hundreds lined up for hours hoping to get a wristband for the event. WOSU reports the book signing, even it got underway, was not without some controversy.
The line outside Borders bookstore snaked around the length of the strip mall. People casually chatted with one another. Some held cups of coffee. A box of donuts, almost empty, was on top of a very full trash can. Those waiting in the cold were patient, some even chipper.
Inside the bookstore the mood is even happier where people are buying copies of Sarah Palin's "Going Rogue" and holding tightly to the ticket that ensures the book will get her signature.
Jenny Brubaker waited three-and-a-half hours in line and bought two copies of the book. Brubaker said it's Palin's values she appreciates.
"I couldn't believe I finally got in. And now I need to get to work," she laughed.
Moments after Brubaker got her wristband and made her purchase others getting ready to enter the store heard...
"Wristbands are out! What did she say? Wristbands are out. We're out of wristbands guys. That's the end of it guys."
"I'm disappointed. I was really looking forward to meeting her," Marylou Barnhart said.
She waited four hours and left empty handed. And she's not alone. George Savage, a tall, older man wearing a cowboy hat, said he drove down from Shelby. It's about an hour-and-a-half north of Columbus.
"We were about 670 in line. We had a guy that counted from the door back before they opened the door. We were under 670. We were told that a thousand people was the ones that would get in. So we were looking forward to it because we knew we were under that limit. And then they say there are 500. So that leaves us out. Disappointed," he said.
"We have to take the author's rules and regulations. Border's doesn't have anything to do with anything other than selling the books and handing out the wristbands," Misty Bohland said.
Bohland is Borders' general manager. She's trying to explain to about a dozen people that the 500 wristband limit was not their call - it was Palin's.
A Borders book signing rules sheet reads "we will give out 1,000 wristbands." But Bohland said Palin's campaign called the store with the change. She said they were asked by Palin's group to post a notice on the door.
"But we were directed not to come outside and share that information or anything like that. (So they told you that.) That is correct. That's not a Borders' policy, that is absolutely Palin's event staff," she said.
Bohland said she had been told those who did not get wristbands to the event can come back in hopes Palin has some extra time to sign additional books.


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Archive for the ‘T-mobile’ tag
EE announced that as of February 2, 2015, it stops selling Orange and T-Mobile plans and it won’t produce anymore PAYG SIM cards of these two brands.
It was believed that as a result of the deal with BT, EE will have to scrap their old brands, T-Mobile and Orange, by the time the operator is sold. Shortly after official announcement about the takeover, EE informed customers that their legacy brands are being phased out.
What it means is that since February 2 customers have not been able to get a monthly plan from direct sales channels like EE shops, while indirect channels offer T-Mobile and Orange contracts till the beginning of March. In terms of PAYG SIM cards, the published information says that EE has already stopped issuing new pay as you go SIM cards and all of these available in shops will become obsolete if not activated within a year. It is the last call if you want to become customer of any of the brands.
There are about 19 million customers in T-Mobile and Orange and the change will also affect them. They don’t need to sign a new contract straight away, but when the current one expires there will be no possibility to prolong it. EE has been actively promoting their 4G brand among that 19 million customers and it is said that already most of them are receiving exclusive deals to transfer their mobile services to EE. If you are a T-Mobile or Orange PAYG SIM card customer then it seems that EE will not force you to change the network but it hopes that the switchover will happen naturally as current T-Mobile and Orange pay as you go tariffs will not be updated so customers will eventually move to a network with better rates. It is still unknown how EE will try to attract their legacy brands’ PAYG SIM card customers to their 4G network.
EE explains the introduction of this idea by quoting their newest data which says that more than 90% of their new and upgrading customers choose EE over T-Mobile or Orange. As a result it won’t cause an upheaval if the brands are phased out as customers naturally go to EE. The 4G operator hopes to convert all T-Mobile and Orange customers to their 4G brand in the upcoming future and as so many people choose EE vast majority of customers will not feel forced to choose the new brand over the legacy ones. However, it is clear that EE did not expect such turn of events as last May its CEO stated that the T-Mobile and Orange brands “will stay for years” before finally phased out.
Orange and T-Mobile British websites ceased to exist and all traffic from there is redirect to EE.co.uk, however, it seems that this does not mean the end for those brands in the UK.
Customers might have been surprised lately if they wanted to open either Orange’s or T-Mobile’s websites as these simply do not work anymore. More precisely, T-Mobile website is completely down, while Orange’s has been limited to news, entertainment and sport sections. As a result, it is not possible to order online neither T-Mobile’s nor Orange’s contracts and the same is true in terms of their PAYG SIM cards. If a customer is interested in one of T-Mobile’s or Orange’s products, they need to go to one of EE’s retail outlets.
It is unclear for how long this situation will last. At this time, EE’s management says that there are no plans for ditching Orange’s and T-Mobile’s 3G plans and they hope that customers will shift towards EE’s 4G plans naturally. Nobody knows, however, whether EE will try to persuade old customers to switch to EE by not updating Orange and T-Mobile plans or maybe in the end by completely phasing them out.
Nevertheless, the decision to close Orange’s and T-Mobile’s websites should not come as a surprise because both companies have been working together on the British market since 2012. This is just another step to streamline the joint venture and instead of maintaining three brands stick to one which has in total above 30 million customers.
Rise contract tariff. Due to rising costs and inflation, as EE explains, Orange and T-Mobile customers should be prepared to 3.3% increase to their contract costs. Thus, the average bill will increase 70p per month. However, the operators have created opportunity – price fixing service – to avoid any future price rise for the duration of the contract by paying additional fees according to customers’ monthly plans. The costs will be:
– 50p for those paying below £14.99 monthly,
– £1 for those paying between £15 and £24.99 monthly,
– £1.50 for those paying between £25 and £34.99 monthly,
– £2 for those paying over £35.
The price rise will only affect those on 3G plans whereas those on 4G plans have nothing to worry about. For Orange customers, changes are said to start on April 10th and for T-Mobile customers on May 9th. New customers who joined Orange after 2 December and T-Mobile after 22 January have six-month grace period.
A spokesperson for EE said: ‘As a result of rising business costs, we are having to increase the price of some Orange and T-Mobile monthly plans. Typically the increase will be 70p a month – about the cost of a can of baked beans. At the same time, we have listened to our customers and understand that some would like the option of fixing the price of their monthly plan. That’s why we are also launching a “Fix Your Monthly Plan” option – the first of its kind in the industry. We know prices rises are never great news, but we always aim to offer great value to our customers as well as the best service on the UK’s biggest network.’
Few days ago Everything Everywhere and MasterCard revealed that they will work together to bring NFC payment capability to Orange and T-Mobile customers. This new pre-paid system will allow payments via mobile phone to be made at over 100,000 retail outlets around the country. The joint venture has also announced that the payment system will eventually have also such features as person-to-person money transfers, loyalty rewards and other digital payment services. Marion King, President of MasterCard UK & Ireland, said: “As the use of cash continues to decline, we will be able to provide Everything Everywhere’s 27 million customers with an attractive range of new payment services backed by the processing power and security of MasterCard.”
The cooperation between EE and MasterCard is not something new, as they have been successfully working together on Orange QuickTap and Orange Cash pre-paid card that were launched in 2011. However, Everything Everywhere will not be the first mobile operator that looks into NFC payment as O2 launched the O2 Wallet this year and Vodafone has been working with Visa to bring mobile payment in 2012/2013.
Everything Everywhere, a joint venture of T-Mobile UK and Orange UK, confirmed it will create a third mobile operator brand for 4G services. This comes as a surprise because in the past the idea was to merge T-Mobile and Orange into one brand. However, the marketing masterminds figured it out that a more profitable move would be to create a new identity. This decision came shortly after Ofcom decided to allow Everything Everywhere use its existing spectrum to start providing 4G services from September 11. Other British mobile operators are infuriated by Ofcom’s call as they will have to wait till the spectrum auction later this year, which means they will not start providing 4G network sooner than 2013. The competition is also afraid that Everything Everywhere can take most of 4G network market share as the upcoming iPhone 5 is rumoured to be 4G compatible. This means that a major part of loyal Apple fans may migrate to Everything Everywhere’s new brand should it sell iPhone 5. From the customer point of view both new mobile operator and faster set up of 4G network are good news. New service provider, that is backed by T-Mobile and Orange, means stronger competition on the market and better deals for the customers. Starting 4G network before 2013 will give a possibility to have quicker Internet connection on mobile devices , thus giving the UK an opportunity to match the best communication standards in the world.
T-Mobile has announced that all new customers that choose the Full Monty plan will not be eligible to use mobile tethering. The plan, which was launched earlier this year, offered ‘truly’ unlimited calls, texts and data for 36 quids per month. However, from the 8th of August for all new Full Monty customers the terms and conditions have “excludes tethering” stated next to the “unlimited internet” part. T-Mobile’s spokesperson did not explain why the operator changed the terms of the Full Monty. Most probably new T-Mobile customers started to dramatically drain the operator’s bandwidth so the company had to limit that or the network could fall over. This situation means that right now the British market has only one tariff offering truly unlimited minutes, text and data – the One Plan from Three UK
As to SIM only deals, you can now get them up to £5 cheaper than previously. Previous £15.50, £20.50 and £25.50 cost now 5 quids less, while the £10.50 deal is now £8.50. Additionally, T-Mobile decided to lower their Internet boosters. In some cases it’s almost 50% cheaper now than before, only 15GB booster remained at £19.
On the 1st of February, T-Mobile introduced a new tariff that promises truly unlimited calls, texts and data. TMobile named its new plan The Full Monty. Customers can choose couple of options in the new plan that will cost them between 36£ and 61£. The cheapest version will guarantee unlimited data, text and calls to other T-Mobile customers. Dearer options, between 41-61£, will also grant unlimited text and calls to other networks and better prices on phones. T-Mobile representatives say that the unlimited data may be also used for tethering. Additionally, new customers or people signing a new contract will also get good subsidized offers on the top smartphones, including iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy S II.
Everything Everywhere, a joint venture of Orange and T-Mobile, is moving forward with the merger of their mobile coverage. Mobile operators have been working together since last year and until now customers of Orange and T-Mobile could use each other 2G signal. Thanks to it, customers should have less problems with poor mobile coverage, as their mobiles automatically switched between the carriers whenever necessary. From now on Everything Everywhere will give access to 3G coverage of both mobile operators to its customers. This “big 3G switch-on” starts from the third week of October and will be implemented region by region. Everything Everywhere plans to complete this dual 3G mobile coverage access within few months.


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Big changes are coming to tech stocks, as Microsoft has recently surpassed Apple as the largest company in the world at (as of this writing) 851 billion dollars in market cap versus 847 billion for Apple, but it could be that Apple’s troubles keep piling up while Microsoft has minimal geopolitical risk compared to other tech companies — and this strategy has paid off well for investors of Microsoft.
Both stocks have declined recently, especially the overall tech sector, due to several factors — most notably the trade war with China, and the market as a whole — but Apple has been more exposed to the turbulent trade disputes, along with signs that it may not want to share data on how many phones it has sold recently. This move by Apple was uncharacteristic of its open reporting on iPhone sales, and investors are worried that it may not want to share the data because the iPhone sales are not what investors expected, and could be a signal of trouble for the iPhone.
Apple is also in an anti-trust case in the US Supreme Court. Apple Inc vs Pepper, being heard in the US Supreme Court, accuses Apple of monopolistic behavior in its use of its App Store. If the Court determines that Apple acted as a monopoly with regards to developers and consumers it would be liable for millions of dollars in damages, along with having to change some of its business practices in regards to the app store that developers must use to pass on their mobile applications to consumers. The App Store is highly profitable for Apple with over 11 billion dollars in revenue for 2017, and is a major source of revenue for the company. If changes need to be made to accommodate the ruling, this could greatly affect a major revenue stream — as well as how it handles and distributes mobile apps.
Can Apple correct its problems?
The problems of Apple are not insurmountable, and the next few months may bring the company back in favor of investors should all three problems clear up. The main issues to deal with are the trade war, accusations of monopoly, and reporting accurate iPhone sales. If they can fix all three issues, most likely investors would reward the stock well enough to go past Microsoft in market cap.
The G20 Summit in Argentina is currently taking place, and President Trump is expected to meet with President Xi Jingping of China. If they can come to some agreement to either stop or reduce the ongoing trade war between the United States and China this would be great news for Apple as much of their manufacturing is located in China and they seem to be the most exposed to trade disagreements. The antitrust case against Apple will take months for the court to determine the outcome. If they would report their sales of the iPhone, it may help ease investors worried that sales are worse than they had anticipated
Microsoft’s strategy laid out in 2014 is paying off well for its investors
Microsoft has been a surprise leader in the tech sector recently by their surprising rise to the largest company, as measured by market capitalization. The last time they held this position was in 2002, when it then lost that title to General Electric the following year. Although they lost greatly in the home operating system market to Apple, they have in recent years caught up with the other leading tech companies with a turnaround led by their CEO Satya Nadella. After becoming CEO in 2014 he focused heavily on cloud computing, and it has paid off for investors — now being the main competitor of Amazon Web Services. Microsoft has several positions that could compete with any of the major tech companies, such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon. With its cloud services, it challenges Amazon; Bing to compete with Google; LinkedIn to get a foothold on the social media world — while not a direct challenge to Facebook, it could pose a long-term threat to the social media company. It has a solid base from which to launch promising new technologies such as cloud computing and that strategy has made great returns for investors, as it is once again the largest company in the world.
The ideas and views expressed in this article should not be used without assessing your own financial situation or consulting your financial adviser. Past results for stocks are no indication of future performance and this article should not be used in place of your financial adviser.


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Victoria L. Bradshaw--who as state labor commissioner cracked down on workplace abuses, including the alleged slave-labor garment factory in El Monte--has an employment problem of her own these days: She's out of work.
In a case of bad timing, Bradshaw last week announced that she was resigning from her labor post to become executive director of Pro-Wilson 1996, an organization intended to drum up support among women, business owners and community leaders for Gov. Pete Wilson's presidential campaign.
But on Friday, when Wilson pulled the plug on his presidential candidacy, Bradshaw found herself out of both jobs.
However, that situation shouldn't last long. Bradshaw, 46, a retail industry executive and consultant before becoming labor commissioner four years ago, is expected to be named by Wilson to another top state post shortly. Sacramento insiders say a good possibility is the now-vacant directorship of the Employment Development Department, a job that would put her in charge of a vastly larger budget and staff than in her old role.
While declining to comment directly on the EDD job, Bradshaw said she expects to stay with the Wilson Administration "in some capacity."


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Line, Owner of MixRadio, Launches $2 Streaming Service
One of the biggest messaging apps in the world is testing a new streaming music service, and it only costs $2.
Too bad you don't live in Thailand.
Line, the Japan-based messaging app that claims more than 205 million users, launched Line Music on Thursday (May 21). The service starts out free for current Line users ad bumps up to $2 after a month of use. Line hasn't revealed how much music is currently available on the service.
Line Music taps Line's messaging capability, giving users the ability to seamlessly share tracks with friends over chat.
Curiously, Line also owns MixRadio, the playlist app that launched on Android and iOS this week. Line hasn't said whether Line Music will expand out of Thailand -- let alone to the U.S. -- and they did confirm to TechCrunch that the two services are being run independently of each other.
But a streaming app that incorporates messaging capabilities in an innovative way would be a unique offering on the increasingly-saturated streaming service market.


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UK: Opposition grows to mandatory alcohol code - BBPA
There is widespread opposition across councils, police and industry to a mandatory code of practice on alcoholic drinks sales, according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).
The pub and beer trade body has called on the Government to rethink its plan to introduce a mandatory code, calling it "ill conceived" and "untargeted".
The BBPA's attack comes as the UK Home Office nears the end of a consultation on the code, which forms a key part of the Government's plan to tackle excess drinking.
There has been near blanket opposition to the code during a series of consultation 'workshops' being held across the country," said the BBPA today (28 July).
"Despite attendance being dominated by police and council officials, electronic voting at the meetings has seen near total opposition to the measure. In Birmingham, 93% were opposed or strongly opposed. At the Nottingham meeting, the figure was 80% and in Cambridge 77%."
Implementing the code will cost the on-trade GBP58m, the BBPA added.
The public attack indicates that opposition from some local authorities and police has emboldened the drinks industry, which, just-drinks previously understood from a number of industry sources, had earlier accepted that a mandatory code was inevitable.
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LGBT Consumers Warm to AdsTargeted to GaysSEPTEMBER 1, 2011Facebook and smartphones are among top channelsfor reaching this demographicLesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) consumers are more likely toconsider buying a product from a company that targets gay people in its adimagery, according to a survey done by Harris Interactive for consulting firmWiteck-Combs Communications.LGBT consumers make up 5% to 10% of the population, according to marketresearch firm Community Marketing Inc. (CMI). Further, “gay men and lesbianshave the largest amount of disposable income of any niche market,” ThomasRoth, president of Community Marketing, said in a statement.Nearly half (47%) of LGBT adults are somewhat or much more likely to considerpurchasing a company’s products or services when they see an ad that hasbeen clearly tailored to “a gay audience with gay imagery and people andspeaks to me as a gay person,” Harris found, compared with 40% who agreedwhen asked in 2007.Survey participants for the 2011 study were less likely to be indifferent ornegative in answer to the question about ad creative than they were in 2007.
Those who said they were no more or less likely to purchase a productadvertised using gay imagery rose to 48% in 2011 from 35% in 2007. But thosewho said they were much less likely to purchase in response to ads targeted tothem fell to 2% in 2011 from 15% in 2007.The LGBT demographic pays attention to brands that support causes that areimportant to them as an LGBT person. LGBT consumers who said they werelikely, very likely or extremely likely to consider brands that supported suchcauses increased from 62% in 2007 to 74% in 2011. Those who are not at alllikely to consider brands declined from 15% in 2007 to 3% in 2011.“Even in a struggling economy, LGBT consumers express an unmistakable andstronger sense of brand loyalty to companies that support their community," saidWes Combs, president of Witeck-Combs Communications, in a statement."Maintaining this trusting and sensitive relationship requires a sustained effort toincorporate diversity, fairness and inclusion into a companys DNA.”Digital ads tend to be successful with gays and lesbians—groups that have ahigher than average ownership of smartphones, according to CMI. When askedif they had completed certain activities related to digital advertising, around 20%of gay men between the ages of 18 and 44 said they had scanned a QR codewith a smartphone in the last week. Nineteen percent of gay men between theages of 18 and 29 reported having clicked on a mobile app ad—a rate higherthan that at which older gay men did.


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'It was like a bomb went off' - Edinburgh family's fury over washing machine blast that destroyed kitchen
A FURIOUS family say they have been left in limbo by an appliance giant after an exploding washing machine rendered their kitchen unusable for more than a month.
Leigh Gregson-Davies told how the blast from the Indesit “shook the walls” of her home in Colinton, sparking a mini indoor flood from a burst pipe and wrecking cabinets.
Leigh, 32, originally complained to Argos after purchasing the machine from the retailer in April, but was advised instead to contact manufacturers Whirlpool.
However, Leigh claims the white goods manufacturer has left them in the dark - despite an engineer informing her a similar fault had been reported with the same model.
They initially assured Leigh the issue would be resolved with a replacement machine, but the company has since refused to respond to any of her complaints, forcing the family of four to use a relative’s washing facilities in the meantime.
Leigh recalled: “I was sitting in the living room with my partner when we just heard this bang, it was like a bomb went off, the walls were shaking and everything.”
“I went into the kitchen and there was just devastation everywhere, the machine hit the fridge so hard it dented the wall.
“The water damage caused by the machine has spread into the hall and cupboard. All the flooring is lifting up. It’s a disgrace that we are having to live like this.”
Earlier this year, Whirlpool issued an urgent recall notice for up to half a million tumble dryers made between 2004 and 2015 over fears a fault with the mechanism could put them at risk of catching fire.
Leigh added: “We are still in the house, but we are having to go back and forward to our inlaws to use the washing machine.”
“We have had no compensation, no offers or date to actually come and replace it, we are just at our wits’ end at this stage.”
Argos declined to comment, stating the matter had been passed on to Whirlpool.
As spokesperson for the appliance giant - which owns successful domestic brands including Hotpoint, as well as Indesit - confirmed they are investigating Leigh’s claims, adding: "We understand that this is a difficult time for Ms Gregson-Davies and her family."
"Our customers’ safety is our number one priority which is why we take every incident report extremely seriously. As you can understand, we are unable to comment on individual cases."


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Tuesday, December 19, 2017
UNT hospitality expert makes wine selection easy with 11 easy tips
DENTON (UNT), Texas — University of North Texas wine connoisseur Han Wen, an assistant professor of hospitality who teaches courses on wine, shares tips for how to shop for, serve and gift wine on a budget.
When selecting wine as a gift, what are the key things to look for?
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Students get a taste for entrepreneurship
What: The University of North Texas' student-run restaurant, the Club at Gateway Center, will soon start serving three-course, gourmet lunches. The club opens for a limited time twice a year and gives students experience running a business.
When: Seating from 11 a.m. to noon on weekdays Oct. 2 (Monday) – Dec. 1 (Friday). Closed Nov. 23 and 24 (Thursday and Friday).
Where: Inside the Gateway Center,...
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Student creation for retail’s top show lands UNT team spot on HSN with designer
DENTON (UNT), Texas — An idea created on campus is giving three University of North Texas graduates the opportunity of a lifetime – a live appearance on the HSN television shopping network. They will appear in a cell in the 7-9 p.m. (Eastern) slot Aug. 4 (Friday).
Thanks to a unique handbag design, the former students won the National Retail Federation’s 2016 Student Challenge at the annual “BIG Show” in New York...
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Local Nestlé Café finds retailing sweet spot with UNT help
DENTON (UNT), Texas — Business is about to get a little bit sweeter for the Nestlé® Toll House® Café in Highland Village thanks to help from University of North Texas students.
Students taking the Digital Retailing Strategies course are creating budget-friendly plans to help with online search results, website and mobile presence, digital communications to customers and consumers’ online experience. Each semester, course lecturer Linda Mihalick selects a local business for the class to help, tasking students with analyzing all...
Monday, April 10, 2017
UNT researcher’s Walmart Foundation grant aims to bring jobs back to U.S.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Executive chef of Gaylord Texan’s Old Hickory Steakhouse to cook with UNT students
What: Nick Ocando, executive chef of the Old Hickory Steakhouse at Grapevine’s Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center, will join students at the University of North Texas’s Club at Gateway for a day of cooking and serving as part of Guest Chef Day.
When: April 4 (Tuesday), with seating from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Where: UNT Club at Gateway, located inside the...
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
UNT’s student-run restaurant opens Feb. 20 for Spring Season
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
UNT means business with spring 2017 events
DENTON (UNT), Texas — The University of North Texas spring calendar includes several business-related events. Programs and workshops are free, will take place on the UNT campus in Denton and are open to media and the public, unless otherwise noted. Visitors can find parking information at http://transportation.unt.edu/visitor-information. To reserve media passes for any event, contact email@example.com or 940-369-7782.
Monday, January 30, 2017
Two UNT students win awards from nation's largest fashion scholarship fund
DENTON, Texas (UNT) — A $1.3 million pool of scholarship money for students interested in the retail and fashion industries has awarded two University of North Texas students with $5,000 prizes.
Lindsey Lotze, a senior from Argyle, Texas, double majoring in digital retailing and merchandising, and Asia Montague, a junior from New Orleans majoring in fashion design, are among more than 200 college students to receive money from the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund. The nonprofit awards the largest...


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The first facility in the U.S. to be licensed as a “ContiLifeCycle” Continental Tire retread facility opened its doors last week.
King’s Tire in Bluefield, WV, earned the distinction, reopening its 25,000-sq.-ft. retread tire facility as a ContiLifeCycle dealer network. An event attended by regional fleet customers celebrated the occasion.
Continental’s executive vice president for truck tires in the Americas, Paul Williams, said that King’s Tire decision to become a licensee represents an important milestone in Continental’s effort to sell premium retreaded truck tires that match its portfolio of new products across the U.S.
“King’s Tire is recognized by its customers as a premier provider of commercial truck tires, both new and retreads, along this important highway corridor,” Williams noted. “Over 40 years they have built a fantastic reputation for both consumer and fleet tire sales and service. Today we are happy to welcome them as the first U.S. licensee in our ContiLifeCycle network.”
King’s Tire Service will be supplied with flat, precure ContiTread products from Continental’s tread production facility in Morelia, Mexico. The retreaded ContiLifeCycle tires sold at King’s Tire will be the first produced in the U.S. from flat, precure treads featuring the same pattern designs, rubber compounding and tread technology that are included in new Continental brand truck tires.
The opening of the facility represents the official kickoff of the ContiLifeCycle network of servicing dealers in the U.S. and the official start of its premium solution for trucking fleets looking for a lifetime tire product – and dealers looking for an attractive method to provide it, Williams explained.
“Continental is actively recruiting dealers in North America as licensees in the ContiLifeCycle network to service these national and regional fleet customers who want to extend the performance of their Continental truck tires into the second, third or even fourth lifetime,” he said. “With our turnkey solution including these premium products, marketing support and competitive pricing, we are also confident that we have an attractive package for dealers looking for a manufacturer to be their business partner in retreading – not their competitor.”
According to Williams, Continental is currently in talks with selected additional truck tire dealers across the U.S. and eastern Canada to expand the ContiLifeCycle network, and expects to complete several additional licensing agreements before the end of 2011.
ContiLifeCycle, Continental’s umbrella for retreading operations, already has a strong foothold in the Americas, according to the company. It supplies precure products from the facility in Mexico to eight ContiLifeCycle dealers throughout Mexico. Two additional plants are also operating in the Andean region.
In the U.S., King’s Tire chain, owned by Sam King, employs 150 experienced tire personnel at eight locations and sells both commercial and passenger/light truck tires including the Continental and General brands. Its retread facility in Bluefield employs 16 personnel and is capable of producing up to 60,000 ContiTread truck tires annually.
We chose to become a ContiLifeCycle licensee so that we could offer something very important to our customers – performance. Continental is the first to offer a product that we feel performs the same from the new tire manufacturing all the way through the useful lifetime of the casing,” said King. “This high level of technology, along with Continental’s great customer service and support, is exactly what we’ve been looking for, and we think our fleet customers will feel the same way.”


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The fall in production would be the result of a decline in the size of dairy cow herds, according to Rabobank. Beef producers were also abandoning production due to CAP reforms eroding financial incentives for farmers, the financial specialist said.
To help meet the shortage,total EU beef imports would rise to 740,000 tonnes by the end of 2014, Rabobank predicted, with EU exports falling to less than 50,000 tonnes. A similar outlook was likely for pork as a result of a further decline in the sow herd, although the report did predict that 2009 would see an equilibrium reached where increased production costs would finally be met by retail price hikes. The report examined the effect of rising commodity prices on the global production of salmon, beef, pork, poultry, vannamei shrimp and pangasius.
Of the six industries studied, the Norwegian salmon industry was least affected by rising costs, thanks to the low amounts of costly oilseed and grain included in salmon feed, coupled with stable fishmeal prices. By contrast, high feed costs had been particularly damaging to the Vietnamese pangasius and EU pork sectors.


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According to the Daily Star, they asked Murray if the game would be making its way onto the Xbox One, or if maybe it could be an exclusive to the PS4. Interestingly enough Murray’s answer seemed to suggest that there could be a faint possibility of that happening. According to Murray, he said he wasn’t sure “actually allowed to say,” and that he needed to be “very specific with my words”.
This was a bit suspect in itself, and was made even more when a Sony rep cut in asking the Daily Star to move the interview along, and that there was nothing more to add. This seems to suggest a couple of possibilities. One is that the game is on a timed exclusive with the PS4, but Murray wasn’t allowed to say how long.
Another possibility is that it is a PS4 exclusive and that was the end of that, although we reckon if it was, Murray would have at least been allowed to say that outright, or at the least the Sony rep could have said it for him. In any case since nothing has been confirmed, we would advice Xbox One gamers to not get their hopes up just yet, but who knows, things could change in the future.


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We're pleased to announce that our brand new third shirt has landed at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium, and it looks great!
Back in January we released the details of the special kit, which features the names of our season ticket holders who waived their refunds in the wake of the pandemic. The top, together with white shorts and red socks, will become our official third strip for the new season in League One.
Sales of the shirt have been unprecedented and we will begin to dispatch it to purchasers from today onwards. Please allow up to a couple of weeks for this process to be completed.
Bear with us and our small team as we get started on the collections process. We are now welcoming customers who bought the shirt during February to come to the stadium to collect.
Supporters that purchased in January and February (and selected the collection option) are now invited to come to the club and pick theirs up. We will be open for collections between Monday and Friday (10am to 4pm).
Please remember to adhere to the social distancing guidelines when you arrive at the ground.
We will then make another announcement in a few days for those who bought in February, and so on.
Still available to order
Thank you for your support.


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What you need to know
- Apple employees have penned an internal letter to CEO Tim Cook.
- The letter urges the company to release a statement in support of the Palestinian people.
Over 1000 Apple employees have signed a petition urging CEO Tim Cook to release a statement in support of the Palestinian people.
As reported by The Verge, the letter urges the company to recognize that "millions of Palestinian people currently suffer under an illegal occupation."
According to the report, the letter was sent on Monday but those who drafted it have not yet received a response from Apple. The company has not yet responded to a request for comment from The Verge either.
Below is the full letter:
An appeal from the Apple Muslim Association
We hope this message reaches you in peace and well-being.
On behalf of the Apple Muslim Association, we write you with sadness, anger, frustration, and disappointment in our hearts.
We are sad and angry because we are once more reminded of the struggle and pain of the Palestinian people, and their decades-long existence under military occupation.
We are frustrated and disappointed because once more, many of those in positions of power and influence — who boldly stand for human rights in so many other just causes — either choose to remain silent or release ineffectually neutral "both sides" statements with regards to the Palestinian situation.
Many of us have had the privilege to grow up in free societies, where the rights of movement, safety, education and opportunity are commonplace. Yet even with all of these rights, ones that the Palestinian people are so often denied, Muslims (and also many of other beliefs) have been told not to discuss the topic of Palestine. We have been told it is "too complicated" to discuss this topic in school, and we have been told it is "too sensitive" for the workplace.
We are Muslims at Apple have enjoyed even more privilege — to work for a great company that has led the way not only on products, but on human rights issues. We in the AMA have expressed our solidarity and will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Black and Brown communities in their fight for justice and equity. We reached out to support and will continue to support our Asian communities in the face of anti-Asian hate and attacks. And we supported teammates from multiple nations as they dealt with the anxiety of the travel ban.
In all of these situations, the right thing to do was clear to us. For millions of Muslims, those communities simply ARE are own communities. And as we stand for them with full hearts, we also feel that staying silent on the plight of the Palestinian people of all faiths, and many of whom are our fellow Apple employees — is no longer something we can do. It is just not right.
Which is why we believe Apple's public commitment to respecting internationally recognized human rights must also extend explicitly and clearly to the Palestinian people.
We humbly request:
- That Apple makes clear, internally and externally, that we believe that Palestinian lives matter.
- That Apple makes clear that, as determined by the United Nations, millions of Palestinian people currently suffer under an illegal occupation. And that this fact has been reasserted through numerous international resolutions and supported by hundreds of nations.
- That apple makes clear that the above statement do NOT in any way take away from the human rights of our Jewish brothers and sisters worldwide.
- That Apple makes clear that the above statements do NOT in any way advocate or support terrorism of any kind upon any people, worldwide.
- That Apple DOES NOT make any statement referring to the Palestinian situation as a "conflict" "clash" or similar, as those words imply a power symmetry that simply does not exist.
- That Apple DOES NOT make any statement referring to "both sides" or similar, as doing so would feel to us as the equivalent of "all lives matter" — a minimization of the disproportionately larger pain and suffering of the Palestinian people. That Apple commit to spending equitable time and effort to learn about and engage with the Palestinian community, as we do for the many other diverse communities which make ip our company. We are not naive to what we are asking. We realize the challenge it presents. Many of us in the Muslim community (and our allies) have faced criticism, bullying and in some cases physical attacks for speaking out and stating internationally-recognized facts in support of Palestinian human rights.
As one of the largest and most successful companies in the world, we believe Apple's words and actions have the power to change lives. We believe this because we have seen Apple do it many times, bringing so much positive impact to the world. Conversely, we also know that silence creates a void where lives remain unchanged.
We look forward to engaging with you to discuss these requests, and do what Apple does best — have the courage to change things in this world for the better.
Yours in peace,
The Apple Muslim Association
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Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.


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Several recently reported breaches involving ransomware attacks in which organizations recovered without paying a ransom to extortionists offer a glimmer of hope that healthcare entities are getting better prepared to deal with such incidents.
The U.S. Commerce Department will offer a 90-day reprieve to a handful of companies that conduct business with Huawei before the Trump administration's ban on the use of the Chinese company's technologies fully kicks in, the Wall Street Journal reports. Meanwhile, Google announces it will continue to work with Huawei.
MuddyWater, an advanced persistent threat group that has targeted organizations in the Middle East, has changed some of its tactics to better avoid detection as it continues to plant backdoors within targeted networks, according to new research from Cisco Talos.
The Department of Homeland Security is warning that Chinese-made drones could be sending sensitive data back to their manufacturers, where it can be accessed by the government, according to news reports.
After the Trump administration last week blacklisted Huawei amid rising trade tensions, Google says it has canceled the Chinese smartphone giant's Android license. Many chipmakers and other technology firms have also said they will cease or at least pause the sharing of software, hardware and services.
Two years after WannaCry tore a path of destruction through the world, the ransomware remains a danger, with many systems still vulnerable to the EternalBlue or EternalRomance exploits that started it all.
The goals of cybercriminals using automated bots are always the same - account takeovers, fake account creation, theft of unused gift card balances, and similar types of criminal activity that disrupt normal business operations.
This report presents the results of an in-depth survey on current practices that larger...
Law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Europe have disrupted a malware attack platform called GozNym. Six suspects have been arrested in four countries and face local prosecution on fraud, money laundering or malware-writing charges. Five Russian suspects remain at large.
A House panel has approved a measure designed to make sure Congress is informed when U.S. companies sell offensive cyber technologies to other nations' governments. The measure was introduced after a U.S. firm sold technologies to the United Arab Emirates that were used to target activists and journalists.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a long-expected executive order that bans the purchase of telecommunication equipment from nations deemed to pose a spying risk. Also, Huawei was banned by the Commerce Department from buying U.S. components without obtaining a license first.
Before public cloud services, large-scale computing infrastructure was expensive, hosted on-premises and reserved for big enterprises, governments, and universities. Now, anyone with a credit card can access an unlimited supply of cloud apps and computing power.
While cloud computing offers many benefits, its...
Fast Retailing, the parent company of several of Japan's biggest retail clothing chains, is warning customers of an attack that exposed email addresses and partial credit card information of more than 460,000 of the company's customers. The attackers apparently used credential stuffing techniques.
ScarCruft, a Korean-speaking APT group that has been targeting organizations mainly in Southeast Asia over the past three years, is developing new malware that targets Bluetooth-enabled devices, according to Kaspersky Lab.
What's it like for a small, not-for-profit healthcare entity to deal with the consequences of a ransomware attack? The president of a substance abuse treatment center shares his first-hand experience - and lessons learned.


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The 2022 Memorial Day sales event is less than two weeks away, and if you're looking to snag an early deal on Apple's small but powerful iPad mini, you're in luck. Amazon now has the 2021 iPad Mini on sale for $409 (was $499) - that's a massive $90 discount and just $10 more than the record-low price.
The 2021 iPad mini features an 8.3-inch display and includes Apple's powerful A15 Bionic chip. The small but mighty iPad packs 64GB of storage, a 12MP Ultra Wide front-facing camera, and Touch ID for secure authentication and Apple Pay. The iPad mini six also includes an impressive 10-hours of battery life and now supports the Apple Pencil and Bluetooth keyboards.
While we've recently seen the iPad mini drop to $399 earlier this month, the 64GB tablet has been sitting at $459 for most of this year, making today's pre-Memorial Day deal extremely appealing.
Pre-Memorial Day deal: Apple iPad Mini
Apple iPad mini (2021):
$499 $409 at Amazon
Save $90 – Just ahead of the 2022 Memorial Day deals event, Amazon has the 2021 Apple iPad Mini on sale for $409. That's the best deal you can find right now and just $10 more than the record-low price. Today's offer is for the 64GB model, and the discount applies to all colors.
More Apple iPad deals
You can see more of the best cheap iPad deals and the best cheap tablet deals happening right now.
You can see more tech bargains with our Memorial Day laptop sales guide and at the upcoming Best Buy Memorial Day sales event.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more from the TechRadar team.
Mackenzie Frazier is the deals editor in the US for TechRadar at Future plc. She's been sharing deal advice for Future for the past three years and loves to find products that the consumer wants at the best possible price. She's had eight years of experience working in the e-commerce space and loves being a mom to her baby boy.


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Rockford, IL – December 21, 2015 – The most recent issue of Pig International magazine unveils the publication’s fresh editorial focus on pig nutrition and health topics to better reflect the primary focus of the swine industry.
As the world population moves to 9 billion by 2050, reaching genetic potential with improved animal management is crucial to meet growing consumption needs. With animal health and nutrition serving as the driving forces, swine nutrition and veterinary professionals seek in-depth technical data and insight so they can provide the best services to producers worldwide.
Nutrition and veterinary professionals currently face many challenges in keeping abreast of industry developments including: new market conditions and consumer requirements regarding antibiotic reduction/elimination, animal health and welfare, diseases, animal performance, educated use of new additives, new forms of fibers, efficiency of production and much more. Focusing their educational efforts on health and nutrition-related content assists them in delivering the best outcome toward sustainability, food safety and profitability.
“While many publications reach the broader pig market, the superior nutrition and health coverage directed through Pig International Editor, Dr. Ioannis Mavromichalis, delivers the deepest available technical information, innovative developments and productivity solutions to our readers,” says Greg Watt, President/CEO. “This is unique to how Pig International covers the industry for our global audience in 160 countries.”
Pig International is published in both print and digital editions. View the most recent issue online at www.piginternational-digital.com.
About WATT Global Media
WATT Global Media provides exceptional business content and solutions to the agribusiness industry. As an industry innovator, WATT Global Media has connected buyers and sellers in the poultry, pig, animal feed and pet food industries through its media channels for nearly 100 years. www.WATTGlobalMedia.com
# # #
Stacy Kiejko, Marketing & Communications Coordinator
o. +1.815.966.5575 | e. firstname.lastname@example.org


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In case you missed them, here are some recent interesting small business news items from around the web.
As part of its ongoing security review, the IRS announced that starting May 13 only individuals with tax identification numbers may request an Employer Identification Number (EIN) as the “responsible party” on the application.
The small business sector has come through the first quarter of 2019 in, for the most part, reasonably good condition. But conversations with observers who follow the sector and readings of various surveys indicate clouds on the horizon. Maybe.
Today’s millennials expect companies – including small businesses – to have a social, as well as a business mission. Whether you want millennials as customers or employees, you better think about how your business affects the world.
The SME’s of the UK have been squeezed today as new costs and tax reporting requirements kick in. No wonder, April 1st has been dubbed “Blue Monday”.
The days of simply going to a movie theater and paying for a ticket may soon be over. Viewers sit through 15 – 20 minutes of ads – just like a movie trailer, right? Wrong. A company wants to utilize facial recognition and track how much attention you’re paying to each ad.


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Fashion and philanthropy all wrapped up! The designer label that donates a silk head scarf to a cancer patient for every one sold
One fashionable New Yorker has created the ultimate gift that gives back this Christmas: screen-printed silk scarves which will be given to local cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Made in Brooklyn with fabrics sourced
from the Garment District, Ashley Granata, founder of label Ashley Jeanne, is selling her 100per cent silk twill scarves on a one-for-one basis.
For every $125 scarf sold, she will personally deliver another to a cancer patient at Brooklyn Hospital.
Scroll down for video
Ashley Granata, founder of label Ashley Jeanne, is selling her 100per cent silk twill scarves on a one-for-one basis - for every $125 scarf sold, she will personally deliver another to a cancer patient at Brooklyn Hospital
'I'm hoping the patients feel uplifted by the donations from everyday people whom they don't know personally, and also with a beautiful thing to wear that will
help them feel pretty,' the 32-year-old told MailOnline.
Miss Granata initially took to crowd-funding site Indiegogo to launch the campaign, which quickly surpassed its $10,000 goal - enough to give away 225 scarves. But to keep up with demand she has extended the project, which ended on November 25, until December 15th to ensure delivery by Christmas Eve.
'There were a lot of requests after the campaign ended from people who wanted to give the scarves as a more meaningful Christmas present,' she explained, adding that she would love to see it become an ongoing project.
Miss Granata, who studied Textile Design in London at Chelsea College of Art and in New York at FIT, designed the prints, based on antique book covers, herself (pictured right on Rachel Martino)
It was after the FIT graduate inherited her grandmother’s beloved scarf collection, learning for the first time she had been a cancer survivor, that Miss Granata wanted to give people going through chemotherapy 'something to help them power through that treatment.'
Miss Granata, who also studied Textile Design in London at Chelsea College of Art, designed the prints, based on antique book covers, herself.
'I'm always collecting old books, love the tactile nature of older covers and tried to bring some of those qualities to these designs with the fabric and metallic print on the silk square,' she said.
She then enlisted director and choreographer Celia Rowlson Hall -- who has worked on projects for Girls, Kate Spade and MGMT -- to put together a series of GIFs illustrating how to wear the silk creations.
Excited by the project's success, Miss Granta, who is a volunteer at Brooklyn hospital, hopes that weaving social good into the fashion industry will soon become 'the norm.'
But for now she is focused on her own social mission. 'If the scarves help cancer patients take back some control over the way that they look
during a time of personal crisis, then it's a success,' she said.
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I like stories like this that show planning, preparation and hard work paying off. A Wall Street Journal article (linked here in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) writes about the disaster response team that got Wal-Marts reopened across the Gulf Coast after they were hit by Katrina.
Wal-Mart’s speed in responding to Katrina underscores the extent to which it and other big-box retailers like Home Depot Inc. have become key players in responding to natural disasters. Whereas FEMA has to scramble for resources, Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart has it owns trucks, distribution centers and dozens of stores in most areas of the country. It also has a specific protocol for responding to disasters, and it can activate an emergency command center to coordinate an immediate response
Sheriff Bob Buckley of Union Parish, La., has nothing but praise for Wal-Mart’s role. About 600 law-enforcement officers from around the state gathered in Gonzalez to start rescue operations, he says, but they had no supplies. They called Wal-Mart the day after the hurricane hit and two days later, they got two truckloads of flashlights, batteries, meals ready to eat, protective gear and ammunition.
And when did FEMA arrive? “Who?” Sheriff Buckley asks.


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"In our base business, gross margins on product sales reached 60 per cent, which compares quite favorably with our competitors' margins. And thanks to the market's enthusiastic reception of our expanding Lux line of products, we doubled the size of our domestic sales force at the end of the year," said CEO for Palomar Joseph Caruso.
Palomar showed a significant increase in net income to €2.6 million from €31,000 in 2002, with a 37 per cent total revenue increase in its year end financial results.
For the fourth quarter the company's total revenues increased by 35 per cent, its product revenues increased by 26 per cent and its gross profit from product sales improved by 34 per cent, compared to the fourth quarter of 2002.
A year ago, the company announced an agreement with Gillette to complete development and commercialise a patented home-use, light-based hair removal device for women.
"Our reputation for leading-edge technology and product reliability has resulted in increased market share for Palomar over the past two years in the expanding market for light-based cosmetic procedures, a trend we think will continue in 2004," said Caruso.
Gross profit from product sales increased to €14.6 million (58 per cent of revenues), up from €9 million (50 per cent of revenues) in the year-earlier period.
Palomar pioneered the optical hair removal field, when, in 1996, it introduced the first high-powered laser hair removal system. Since then, many of the major advances in light-based hair removal have been based on Palomar technology.
Palomar announced that it will continue to fund research and development and plans to extend its range of applications in upcoming quarters.


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(Last Updated on November 29, 2022 by ZIMDAILY EDITOR)
HARARE – One of Zimbabwe’s top financial institutions, FBC Holdings Limited (FBC) says the 2023 National Budget announced last week will likely be funded by money printing, amid dwindling revenue options for Treasury.
Last week, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube announced a $4,5 trillion budget for 2023, up 32% from a pre-budget consultation figure of $3,4 trillion and nearly 137% over 2022 comparative of $1,9 trillion.
The budget, which translates to US$6,95 billion, is the highest expenditure requirement by government ever in decades and has a funding deficit of nearly $600 billion that will be met through debt financing.
Total revenue collections are projected at $3,9 trillion (US$6,02 billion) for 2023.
According to Ncube, the deficit will partly be funded by the issuance of Treasury Bills worth $82,2 billion, Victoria Falls Exchange Bonds ($95,2 billion) and an expected loan of US$400 million from the African Export-Import Bank.
Ncube added that changes in bank balances of $10 billion would fund the deficit.
“Month-on-month inflation target range has been set at between 1% and 3%. Global inflation shocks resulting from geopolitical tensions, rising food and energy prices as well as supply chain disruptions present downside risks to the inflation outlook,” FBC securities subsidiary, FBC Securities Private Limited (FSPL) wrote to its clients in its post-2023 National Budget analysis.
“Ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections and higher spending to fund the 2022/23 farming season, there is likely to be pressure on money supply, which if not carefully managed may trigger inflationary pressures. Government has, however, reiterated intentions to maintain its hawkish monetary stance in a bid to keep inflation under control.”
Over the past few months, money supply has been rising by double digits, reaching $1,9 trillion as of September from a comparative $1,6 trillion in the previous month, despite a waning economy.
Government projected economic growth for the year of 4%, down from an initial target of 4,6%, which is expected at 3,8% in 2023.
The downwards revision, Ncube explained, is due to the impact of high inflation and resultant stabilisation measures on credit and demand.
However, government’s growth projection for 2023 remains above projections by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank of 3% and 3,4%, respectively, FSPL noted.
Thus, without any significant growth in the economy, any debt financing strategies will be inflationary as they would not be supported by the real gross domestic product growth.
Further, amid declining consumer demand and prices set to increase following a rise in value-added tax of half a percentage point and removing the suspension of basic commodity duties, the situation will only get worse.
“The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mthuli Ncube, presented the 2023 National Budget under the theme Accelerating Economic Transformation. The presentation comes on the backdrop of elevated inflation and currency devaluation that prompted tightening of the central bank’s monetary policy,” FBC said.
“Annual inflation as at end of October was 268,8% against an initial target of 25%-35%, later revised to 52-58%. For 2023, government has set a month-on-month target of between 1% and 3% and annual inflation to drop to two digits. Money supply pressure from anticipated increased government expenditure may threaten this inflation outlook, if not carefully managed.”
FBC said the central bank had maintained a tight monetary policy, raised the interest rate from 80% to 200%, further liberalised the forex market, and issued gold coins as a store of value.
“Unless carefully managed, there is likely to be pressure on money supply growth in the coming months owing to government increased expenditure ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections and higher spending to fund the 2022/23 farming season,” it said.


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Samsung will unveil “the Next Galaxy” in nine days and the company has once again taken to Twitter to tease the masses. Previous hints to what the next smartphone, possibly the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge, came with the tagline of, “The faster I am, the more that gets done. And the more time I can give to others.”
I am #TheNextGalaxy. See what inspired me at #Unpacked. https://t.co/r9hNJnrMP5
— TheNextGalaxy (@SamsungMobile) February 20, 2015
This time around the design of the future smartphone promises to be “crafted from the beautiful things I see around me.” The video shows a number of curved images shaped by metal and glass, ending with a thinly designed device.
Samsung has scheduled March 1st for its Mobile World Congress keynote presentation and stated in its quarterly report that the next set of smartphones will come with “new materials, innovative design.”